The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-07-08
YANKTON INSANE ASYLUM.
Gov. Church and Examiner Harris
Make Report Upon the Yankton
Asylum Investigation.
They Find That the Trustees Unlaw-
fully Delegated Their Powers and
Duties to Secretary Colby.

BISMARCK, Special Telegram, July /. Gov
Church received and there was made public
to-day the report OF Public Examiner O. N.
Harris on the testimony taken by She COM
mission appointed to investigate vlIe charges
made against the trustees Of the Yankton in
sane asylum Mr.. Harris in his report first
says that he found no discrepancies in the
records and accounts of the steward, J. A.
Potter He then gets right down to the gist
of the whole trouble by saying:
THEY DELEGATED THEIR POWER
What has made the trouble and delay in this
investigation was the manner and way OF doing
business by the trustees during the PAST two
years They have, during that time, overlooked
their duties as an advisory board and have as
sumed the duties Of superintendent OF the in
stitution and have disbursed several Of the ap-
propriations. In some instances they have
kept no vouchers and in no case have they
furnished to the auditor an itemized
| statement for the amounts they have drawn out
Of the several funds, thereby having no clue
during the time they operated as 70 where and
! when placed on the stand and asked to explain,
| their memory fails them, and as that was, in
most cases, the only record kept oy them, I Y
| records TO estimate their doings during the two
! years A. f. Colby acted as their secretary and
| business manager
| taken out of the stewards charge funds aggre-
| eating $24450, and have also duly installed
| their secretary, Colby. as treasurer snperin-
! tendent of construction and purchasing agent
| Money was drawn from the several funds on
/ vouchers in favor Of Secretary Colby and certi-
| fed TO by him and the president OF the
eyii estimates s. by Secretary Colby to the
| amount of $S,S9060. For the estimates
made by Colby he can give no explanation,
\ simply claiming that the amount OF money was
| drawn by him as needed. and iudiciously I'M
/ vested. Williams, who was president of the
/ board at the time above amounts were drawn.
/ did not know until after the report OF the board
1 was made to Gov. Pierce Nov. 80 1886, that
! money had been drawn on estimates and that It
| had not been expended as specified in that re-
| port. A deficiency in the fuel account OF So
! 909 90 was accounted for by Mr.. Colby by say
| ing that he had borrowed from the fuel fund TO
carry out other improvements.
t--r-~r7-5-- TIE TOT Se4sanA : Q z
In all the funds handled by Colby find a
/ total shortage Of $5, ,47153 Territorial Auditor
/ Caldwell paid the vouchers drawn in favor Of A.
/ II. Colby, as most Of them were, upon the funds
/ before mentioned The law makes 1t the duty Of
4 the steward to disburse the employees funds and
! buy all supplies for the institution, and in no
1 case are any of these vouchers supposed
/ to reach the secretary Of the boards hands.
/ The law makes it the duty Of the superin-
6endent and the president OF the board OF trus-
/ tees 10 check up and certify to the correctness
! OF the stewards monthly statements, and the
/ auditor has no authority whatever TO pay vouch-
i ers that are not certified TO in this way. Ana
/ yet Auditor Caldwell in his dealings with Mr..
i Colby during the past two years has seen mt TO
/ do away with steward and superintendent, and
to recognize Colby alone IN these several capaci-
/ ties, thus giving the officers NO opportunity
] whatever to have any check upon the money ex-
/ pended from those several funds. Caldwell is
| the man who should have checked and refused
to recognize this manner and way OF doing pnsi-
4 ness.
/ Examiner Harris proceeds at length then
to show how Colby was BY the trustees ap-
| pointed superintendent of construction and
made treasurer of the funds over which
they had assumed control During the two
years for such services he received
81, ,S38 80, although he devoted most Of his
time to his store and his private business
The examiners report then recltes Mr.
Cobby's testimony on the witness stand.
showing his defective memory as to the
funds and the expenditures from each The
shortages in each account are then sum
married., and are shown to represent total
of SIS, 472. 90
THE GOVERNORS REPORT.
Having considered the report Of Examiner
Harris, Gov Church has issued his manifesto
| He first quotes the provisions of the Law de-
hning the duties Of the board Of trustees,
superintendent. steward, etc:
Il The latter by law shall keep an accurate ac-
count Of all receipts and expenditures In detail
which shall be open to the inspection Of the
superintendent and board Of trustees.
Gov Church then quotes the section of the
law that provides that:
No portion Of any special appropriation for
the erection Of any building or for the doing OF
any work or for any purpose other than ordln-
airy expenses shall be drawn from the territorial
treasury in advance Of the work done or she ma
terial furnished and then only upon proper es-
Inmates thereof approved by the trustees.
EXECUTIVE DIsPLEAsURE
The gubernatorial decision, after quoting
the law and reviewing the case. is in the fol
lowing language:
The actions Of the trustees have been In abso-
lutte disregard OF the law; they arrogated to
themselves the powers and duties OF the super
intendent and steward and either discharged
Ii these dgties themselves or empowered or allowed
Mr.. Colby to discharge them and thus prevent
bsneft Of that security for the
faithful performance Of duties that these Offi-
cials by law were required TO render. and they
had given bonds faithfully TO perform. The In
terpolation In the stewards report shows that
had prevented the steward from dIscharging the
duties the law imposed; this action Of the board
merits the severest criticism for many reasons.
After careful examination Of the act OF 1887
am not satisfied; / have the power to remove.
The Office Of trustee being for a fixed period,
and the further fact that the acts complained OF
were committed by board Of trustees appointed
ia 1885 and which went cut of existence on the
formation OF the present board The evidence
tsken by the examiner and his report show an
expenditure of a large amount OF public funds
which have not been satisfactorily accounted for
III am not satisfied with the explanation regard
ing the management Of the late board and the
attempt made by majority Of the present
board who were members of the former board TO
continue, the manner Of manAQement Justilef
the executive In expressing his dtsapprogal OF z
continuance Of such management. The past
, management indicates 10 say the least. an
utter disregard Of sound business principals
aud defiance Of the law. This gross misfeas-
ence II no greater ofFenae has been committed,
justifes the executive in taking such steps fol
the future as be may deem advisable and ths
ACT of 1857 empowers LOUIS X. CHURcH.
Governor.
SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT
In supplemental report. dated Aberdeen
june 2S, Public Examiner Harris submits